Porsche 928

A little history

Introduced at the 1977 Geneva motor show, the 928 model was the second step of a plan to transmute Porsche from the traditional maker of rear-engine GTs to a producer of a range of more luxurious front-engine cars. It followed the 924 by two years and, at term, was to replace the 911, then perceived as reaching the limits of its potential. In the end, it would be the venerable model to survive all of its younger siblings.

When the 911 had replaced the 356 almost a decade and a half earlier, Porsche had had concerns about the whopping price of the newcomer, so much actually that it felt obliged to offer a cheaper alternative, the four-cylinder 912. The 928 again showed a steep increase in price over the 911, but this time, no other choice would be given to Porsche’s customers, apart from the traditional 911 itself. Right after the introduction of the front-engined, Audi-powered 924, the most faithful among Porsche’s fans were more than ever reluctant to accept a front-engine car as the company’s flagship. The choice of a water-cooled V8 didn’t help, either, nor did the hefty weight. The modern design was indeed elegant, but the choice of such odd pop-up headlights was debated by some. Overall, the large and luxurious car, which enjoyed a much forgiving handling than the tricky 911, seemed to aim at the North American market more than any other. The 928 started to sell rather poorly, at least by comparison with its maker’s expectations; this would never improve over time.

Soon enough it had to be admitted that the 928 would never be able to replace the 911. As a luxury coupe crowning Porsche’s range, it was a worthy automobile though, and enjoyed a long career. More and more equipment and constantly enlarged engines brought ever-increasing prices. If the sales of the original 4.5-litre, 240 hp cars were limited, those of the last 928 GTS, with their huge 5.4-litre, 350 hp V8 were almost anecdotic. The car was retired in 1995, and Porsche would not renew the experience of proposing a front-engine V8 car until the Cayenne, introduced seven years later.

About the model

Model: Porsche 928 S4
Year: 1986
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed
Acquired: brand new, in May 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Crude when it comes to details, but well-proportioned interpretation of the slightly face-lifted 1987 model year 928: 10/20.

Porsche 911 (997)

Just after adding this post I noted that we have a new follower, so welcome aboard lalax8!

A little history

The coming of each new generation of the famed 911 renews for Porsche the challenge of being up to the legend this car has become over the years. Its previous incarnation, also known as the 996, was only seven years old when the German manufacturer introduced its replacement, the 997, in 2005.

The new car wasn’t exempted from receiving critics. Sure, Porsche worked a lot to further improve its car’s performance and handling. Nonetheless it’s an automobile’s style one would notice first. And here, it seems that Porsche’s designers made a total waste of the allotted budget by conceiving a totally new car… that looked exactly like the old one, except for its round headlights – which I personally utterly dislike… Actually, the original 997 didn’t last until July 2008 before being slightly facelifted.

Most versions of the 996 were carried over in the new car’s range. Traditional badges as Carrera, Targa, Turbo, GT2 and GT3 were all worn by the 997. Base engine is a 3.6-litre flat six, rated at a respectable 325 hp. Those fearing that the car would be short on power had to wait until November 2007, when the new GT2 was made available. One could think that with 530 hp, the twin-turbo version of the flat six was well enough for any would-be Schumacher… However, we live in times when the very meaning of the word “enough” has been forgotten, so a limited-edition GT2 RS was introduced in May 2010. The newest car in the 911’s range offers 620 hp packed in a lightweight body. Acceleration is instant, top speed tremendous. Unfortunately, an anti-G suit is not provided as standard equipment.

About the model

Model: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Year: c.2005
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in July 2009, in Manila, Philippines

Once again I preferred to reserve my budget for classic cars rather than modern ones, so I turned to this new Cararama release. My verdict: today’s kids are so lucky to have such brilliant toys! Considering the rock-bottom price, the Chinese company did a superb job in reproducing this slightly beefed up Carrera S. My rating is 12/20.

Porsche Diesel

A little history

Ferdinand Porsche wasn’t only busy designing what would become the Volkswagen during the Thirties – on his desk were also the blueprints of a Volk-Schlepper, the “People’s Tractor” that would motorized the German countryside. As with the popular car, with which the tractor shared many features, the farm-aimed Porsche didn’t entered production before the end of World War Two, though prototypes had been built as early as in 1934.

After the fall of the Third Reich, Ferdinand Porsche perfected his prototypes. All of his models were powered by diesel engines, a logical choice for a tractor. All were advanced designs, and included a four-wheel-drive version that was tested in 1946, though it eventually never reached production. Actually all other models could have never gone beyond prototype stage: an Allied edict stipulated that tractor production in postwar Germany would be limited to companies already active in this field before or during the war – this naturally excluded Porsche. Nonetheless these projects were so brilliant that they soon found an established company willing to build them under license: Allgaier GmbH, which undertook the construction of the twin-cylinder AP17 in 1950. A second manufacturer, Hofherr Schrantz, bought the rights for the Austrian market and simultaneously started production.

Allgaier produced one- and two-cylinder Porsche tractors with success until 1956, when the company was taken over by Mannesmann, a large Düsseldorf conglomerate willing to diversify its activities, and able to provide the large industrial facilities Allgaier lacked to fulfill the huge demand. And yes, this is the same company as the D2 Mannesmann – a cellphone operator – that faithfully appeared as a sponsor on many Mercedes-Benz racing cars during the Nineties.

Back to our story. Mannesmann created a dedicated division to handle the production of its tractors: Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH. Carmaker Porsche designed four models for Mannesmann to build: the Junior (1 cylinder, 0.8 litre, 14 hp), the Standard (2 cylinders, 1.4 litre, 25 hp), the Super (3 cylinders, 2.6 litres, 38 hp) and the Master (4 cylinders, 3.3 litres, 50 hp). Among those, the Super and, to some extent, the tiny Junior proved the most popular with farmers. Production of the all-red machines peaked at about 20,000 copies (a large share being exported) by 1958, but Mannesmann nevertheless soon lost its interest in its new venture. In 1962, the company announced that its tractors’ production would be suspended sometime in the near future. Its Konstanz Lake plant stopped building Porsche-Diesel machines in late 1963, though more tractors were built in the open, from spare parts on hands, for a few more months. By early 1964 though, the very last agricultural appliance to ever bear Porsche’s name had left the factory.

About the model

Model: Porsche-Diesel Super AP133
Year: 1958
Maker: Universal Hobbies
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.16 of its Tracteurs et Monde Agricole press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Souillac, France

Yes, there was a diesel Porsche before the Cayenne. I really enjoy the contrast between this tractor with better-known Porsche road cars when I put them side-by-side on my shelves. Besides, it has been very nicely crafted by Universal Hobbies. My rating is 14/20.

Porsche 956

A double post today.

I didn’t greet yet our newest followers Jovet and Erwin/komenda, so here is now the traditional post dedicated to the newcomers. For you Erwin, it was rather simple as I already have the Porsche 956’s story on hand, while for you Jovet I actually had something else in mind but didn’t have the necessary pictures, so you’ll have to do with the Porsche 962 instead… To both of you, welcome!

A little history

The creation of Group C for 1982 would all of a sudden render the old Group 6 spyders obsolete. Porsche seized the opportunity of re-entering endurance racing with a works team by designing a brand-new car answering the new rules, the 956. This machine, which took over the twin-turbo 2.6-litre flat six tested during the 1981 season by the Porsche 936, was a coupe built around an aluminium monocoque structure. The 956 was carefully designed during 1981 and, by spring of 1982, the first car was ready for testing.

During 1982, Porsche decided to reserve its new car to the factory team, leaving as the only option for privateers willing to race Porsches to modify their old 936, principally by transforming them into coupes, in order to comply with the Group C regulations. Without much opposition, the new 956 proved the car to beat. For 1983, private teams could acquire 956s, and many of them did just that, reinforcing Porsche’s supremacy on endurance racing. During these two initial seasons, no other car seemed able to rival the Stuttgart machines – the Lancia LC2 was faster but extremely fragile, the Ford C100 was disappointing, while Rondeau, an artisan rather than a manufacturer, didn’t have the financial means to oppose Porsche’s onslaught.

By 1984, the Porsche 956 stood virtually alone on the endurance stage. Porsche wasn’t totally satisfied, though. It had initially wanted to compete in IMSA events, but its car couldn’t comply with the American rules. A new machine, the 962, was therefore prepared in order to race both in Group C and in IMSA GTP. Roughly similar in shape but heavily redesigned from its predecessor, the new 962 appeared in time for the beginning of the 1985 season. Most teams kept their still-competitive 956s but, from the Spa 1000 km on, the writing was on the wall for the older model. There, German rising star Stefan Bellof was killed in a crash while driving a 956. Stricter safety regulations in America than in Europe had been the main reason why the 956 hadn’t been allowed to compete by the IMSA. Suddenly the dominating 956 was perceived as a potentially dangerous car, and most teams replaced theirs by 962s as soon as possible, though a few ones soldiered on for some time.

About the models

Model: Porsche 956
Year: 1982
Event: 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.52 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

Some sort of a ghost car, which I’ve noted on separate listings as present in my collection and taken on pictures, but seems to be nowhere. Most probably several mistakes summed up: I indeed bought this car but I remember bringing it back to the shop after I noticed a slight problem with the decoration – unfortunately I have never been able to get a replacement one. As with other Ixo 956s it isn’t bad, but definitely average. Furthermore you have to do without the “Rothmans” markings. My rating would be 12/20.

Model: Porsche 956
Year: 1983
Event: 1983 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jonathan Palmer, Jan Lammers and Richard Lloyd (finished 8th overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.4 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

At least this is one model which the “dirt” applied by Ixo has benefited. Well worth 13/20.

Model: Porsche 956 B
Year: 1984
Event: 1984 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Henri Pescarolo and Klaus Ludwig (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.7 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Pescarolo’s final victory at Le Mans was with this car, and it was also the very last time the race was won by a car shared by only two pilots. The headlights look like four plastic disks painted in grey, most probably because that’s exactly what they are. This model deserves a 12/20.

Porsche 962

A little history

A polyvalent machine able to comply with both Group C and IMSA GTP rules, the Porsche 962 succeeded the 956 after the latter had been run for three seasons. Despite a similar silhouette, the 962 was virtually a new machine, built on an extended 956 chassis which allowed the driver to be moved backwards. It initially received the same 2.6-liter engine as its predecessor, though in IMSA form one out of two turbochargers had to be removed. Larger flat sixes were later developed, displacing up to 3.2-litre.

The Porsche 956 had crushed the (limited) resistance offered by Ford and Lancia in the early days of Group C racing; initially the 962 did as well when faced with newcomers such as Jaguar, Sauber or Nissan. The British team proved its toughest rival, and domination switched sides from 1988 on. Nonetheless 962s remained fairly competitive throughout the model’s long career, all the more after some private teams took the responsibility of developing evolutions of the car. First of them was Kremer, last Dauer which, during the Group C’s agony in 1994, exploited a loophole in the new rules in order to reclassify the 962 as a GT. Noticing that only one road legal car was needed to enter a machine as a Gran Turismo at Le Mans, Jochen Dauer had a 962 converted to road use and, so as to convince sceptical ACO assessors, drove the car himself from Germany to Sarthe. Though a road stop had some comical effects, Dauer having much trouble to gear into reverse in front of a small crowd of amazed witnesses, the demonstration was good enough and his 962s, benefiting from the more lenient GT rules regarding fuel tank capacities, took a narrow victory against the Toyota prototypes. Apart from these two Dauers, original 962s were still racing in 1994, sometimes with success. For the next season, rules evolved again, removing the loophole used by Dauer and banning Group Cs for good, ending not only the ten-year career of one of the most prestigious Porsche ever, but also of one of the most fascinating chapter in the history of motor racing.

About the models

Model: Porsche 962 C
Year: 1987
Event: 1987 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Derek Bell, Al Holbert and Hans Stuck (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.17 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2006, in Souillac, France

Ixo’s 962 is on a par with its 956, and therefore deserves an identical 12/20 rating.

Model: Porsche 962 C
Year: 1987
Event: 1987 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jürgen Lässig, Pierre Yver and Bernard de Dryver (finished 2nd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.22 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

The higher standard of quality of this series justifies giving a 13/20 to this nice model. Nonetheless some displeasing details remain, such as the wipers, which as with all of Ixo’s 956/962s are moulded with the windshield.

Model: Porsche 962 C
Year: 1989
Event: 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Oscar Larrauri, Walter Brun and Jésus Parreja (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.3 of its 100 años de Sport Automovil press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Not necessarily extraordinary, and moreover someone made me notice on a forum that the rear part isn’t the appropriate one, but I have a special weakness for this car that I saw in action twenty years ago. My rating is 11/20.

Model: Dauer 962 GT LM – Porsche
Year: 1994
Event: 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Yannick Dalmas, Hurley Hailwood and Mauro Baldi (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.26 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Another 12/20 for this correct, but not irresistible die-cast.

Model: Dauer 962 GT LM – Porsche
Year: 1994
Event: 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Hans Stuck, Danny Sullivan and Thierry Boutsen (finished 3rd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.34 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in January 2008, in Souillac, France

Despite being released in a later series this Altaya model doesn’t feature much improvement over the former die-cast, so I’ll again give it 12/20.

Porsche 935

Welcome to our two newest followers Piotr G and ffoster. More particularly for the latter, here is a special post.

A little history

Porsche had already run, through the Martini Racing Team, a turbocharged 911 Carrera RSR that had proved particularly fast during the 1974 season. Customers though had to content themselves with the normally-aspirated Carrera RSR. All that was about to change as for 1976, Porsche unveiled its most important effort in endurance racing since the launch of the 917, releasing both the 936 sportscar and the 935 “silhouette” GT. Both were named after the respective groups in which they would compete, Groups 6 and 5.

Unlike Group 4, which was reserved to traditional GTs, Group 5 allowed major modifications to a car, as long as it kept the overall appearance of the original road-going vehicle. The original 935 still resembled a heavily modified 911, but soon enough Porsche engineers fitted it with the “flat nose” it became famous for. This flat nose not only helped aerodynamics, its main goal was in fact to canalize air streams passing through air intakes in the front spoiler and exiting from vents on the top of each front wings, increasing downforce. Power originally came from a 2.8-litre flat six rated at 560 hp. Performances were incredible… as much as fuel consumption was. Porsche couldn’t know at this point that its two thoroughbreds were embarking on long and successful careers that would last until the FISA would set new rules for endurance racing during the early Eighties.

During the 1976 season, the 935s were only available to the semi-works Martini Racing, and battled all year long against the monstrous (750 hp) but fragile BMW CSL in order to win the world championship. In 1977, the introduction of the 935/77 evolution and the sale of the car to many private teams made things easier for the Stuttgart company, which dominated most events and even had a stint at the 2.0-litre class of the German DTM with a special 935 powered by a 1.4-litre “Baby” engine.

The following season saw the introduction of what is arguably the best remembered 935 of all: the lone 935/78, which thanks to its whale-like silhouette is better known as the “Moby Dick”, from the name of Herman Melville’s famous novel. Engine was enlarged to 3.2-litre, its power now reaching about 750 hp. Designed for high speeds, the Moby Dick had Le Mans as its main objective. Reliability problems slowed the car’s pace, which finished far down the rankings from the victorious Alpine-Renault.

Porsche officially retired for 1979, and its fortune rested in the hands of its customers. These private teams not only received the support of the German company, they could also upgrade their 935s to the K3 version designed by Kremer. Without much opposition from the prototypes, both Porsche, as we have seen, and Renault, which concentrated on Formula One, having retired from the sport, the 935s triumphed at Le Mans – the first ever victory of a GT car there.

From 1980, the Porsche 935 wasn’t as domineering as it used to be. Porsche was about to re-enter endurance racing with a new prototype, the 956 which used a turbocharged 2.6-litre engine derived from the Moby Dick’s block, but neglected its ageing Group 5. Kremer tried to keep the pace with a new K4. It certainly extended the car’s life, but the end was inescapable nonetheless. The last Porsche 935s didn’t retire from racing before 1986, the car’s career thus extending over eleven years.

About the models

Model: Porsche 935 K3
Year: 1979
Event: 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Klaus Ludwig, Don Whittington and Bill Whittington (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.34 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2005, in Souillac, France

A nice die-cast of the Le Mans-winning 935. Many other scale models of this famous car exist, both as industrial die-casts or resin kits, but for me Ixo’s version looks fine enough on a shelf. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Porsche 935 K3
Year: 1979
Event: 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Rolf Stommelen, Paul Newman and Dick Barbour (finished 2nd overall, class winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.44 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2008, in Souillac, France

Just behind the previous car, this 935 finished second. It is best remembered for having been driven by Paul Newman, though some witnesses assure that the actor let most of the job to much more experienced Stommelen and Barbour. Coming from a later Altaya series, this 935 – quite different from the previous model as it was homologated under the IMSA rules – is slightly better detailed, justifying a 13/20 rating.

Model: Porsche 935 K3
Year: 1981
Event: 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Bob Garretson, Ralph Kent-Cooke and Anny-Charlotte Verney (finished 6th overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.55 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Basically the same car as the first one presented on this post, but with a different livery to represent a lesser known entry from a later date. My rating is again 12/20.

Porsche 936

A little history

As we have previously seen, Porsche left sportscar racing after 1971. The German company would not totally abandon endurance racing though, but rather concentrate its efforts on GTs. Successive evolutions led to the turbocharged 935, a car that didn’t have much in common anymore with the road-going 911. Endurance racing was now competed by Group 5 (GTs) and Group 6 (sportscars) machines, hence the name of Porsche’s thoroughbred: “930” engine type + Group “5” = “935”. But for 1976, Stuttgart announced a new car satisfying the rules of the fastest class: with a similar engine, but classified as a Group 6, the new entrant was logically called the “936”.

Though a brand new car, the 936 relied heavily on Porsche’s long experience in endurance racing. The engine, as we said, was the trusted 930, a 2.1-litre flat six which offered 540 hp thanks to a single turbocharger. A 1.4 handicap ratio being imposed on supercharged cars’ displacements, the 936 was therefore just under the 3.0-litre limit.

This engine was fitted to a chassis that was closely derived from the 917’s, the last sportscar Porsche had built at the time. Many other elements were borrowed from its predecessor, so from the very start, and despite some resemblance, the 936 had more to do with the prototypes of the previous generation than with the 908, still entered then by private teams. From the very start, Porsche decided to limit the 936’s production to a handful of machines that were all reserved for the (virtually) works equipe, the Martini Racing Team. Its intention was to force private teams into purchasing its 935. Those who still wanted to race a Porsche in Group 6 would have to contend themselves with updated 908s.

From their very first outing the 936s proved the cars to beat on the depressed endurance stage of the mid-Seventies. Ageing Mirages and under-funded Lolas couldn’t do much to contest Porsche’s supremacy. Only Alpine’s cars, thanks to Renault’s full support, could match their German rivals. During 1976 they still lacked preparation, but a gallant fight was expected at Le Mans in 1977. Porsche won, but Alpine returned with a vengeance for the 1978 event when, from the very start, Porsche found that its scheduled pace was about ten seconds per lap slower than Alpine’s. Alas, the French team’s triumph would lead nowhere as Renault announced its withdrawal from endurance racing at the end of the season, with the intention of concentrating on Formula One.

Without rival, Porsche limited its efforts during the two following seasons. Its 936s all had to retire during the 1979 Le Mans, but its 935 GTs saved the day. In 1980, Jean Rondeau’s handmade prototype gave France its first overall victory at Le Mans in three decades, beating the weak German attempt. Porsche finally reacted in 1981, revamping its old 936 and fitting it with a 2.6-litre engine. This more serious try brought restored success in the Sarthe for the German brand which, from the car’s introduction to that point, had won all world championships for makes…

For 1982, Group C cars were introduced by new regulations. Porsche was ready with its 956, powered by the 2.6-litre engine first tested by the 936. As Stuttgart’s management decided to reserve the 956 to its works team during its inaugural season, private teams received 936s they updated and re-bodied in order to fit the new rules. By 1983 though, the 956 was put on sale, and many teams placed orders, discarding their older machines. The 936’s career was at an end, but its glorious successor’s one was just at its onset.

About the models

Altaya successively offered all Le Mans-winning 936s. Here they are:

Model: Porsche 936
Year: 1976
Event: 1976 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jacky Ickx and Gijs Van Lennep (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.27 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l’Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

Correct reproduction, average quality. As with the two following models, some minor problems with the decals, but nothing easily noticeable. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Porsche 936/77
Year: 1977
Event: 1977 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood, relieved by Jacky Ickx (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.40 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

A pleasant model, though the decals are not always well positioned and the headlights are perhaps over-simplified. My rating is 13/20.

Model: Porsche 936/81
Year: 1981
Event: 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.14 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2004, in Souillac, France

Porsche gave up its traditional “Martini” colours for a “Jules” décor – Jules being the name of a perfume for men at the time. This decoration is as busy as the previous one, and therefore gives as many opportunities to Ixo workers to leave small mistakes behind. On the other hand, the wheels are nice, the headlights better and a metal antenna has been fitted rather than the ordinary plastic ones, that can be so easily broken. I’d give 13/20.

Porsche 908

A little history

Though its nimble prototypes were able to outclass much more powerful machines on twisty tracks, most noticeably at the Nürburgring or the Targa Florio, by 1967 Porsche had still never been able to win any other major event of the sportscars calendar, and above all had failed to clinch a victory at Le Mans. During that year, though, seemed to arise the opportunity that would make a winner out of Porsche.

The F.I.A. (Fédération Internationale Automobile) announced that, starting in 1968, the engine’s displacement of prototypes would be aligned on that of Formula One: 3 litres was the new absolute ceiling. Porsche immediately set to work on a new car, the 908, in order to replace its 2.2-litre 907.

The F.I.A. soon changed its mind, however, allowing for the time being sportscars of up to 5.0 litres. This excluded cars of the likes of the Ford Mk.II and Mk.IV or the Chaparral, with their huge 7.0-litre V8 engines, but permitted the smaller Ford GT40 and the Lola T70 to carry on for a few more years. Porsche’s task suddenly became more complicated.

The German engineers used all of their knowledge of aerodynamics, for which they were renowned, to fashion their 908. With about 350 bhp and a “Long Tail” body, the coupe was not only fast – it was beautiful. Alas, elegance alone comes to nought in motor racing. The 908 proved a fragile machine, and all too often gave way to the time-tested Fords and Lolas, and even to its little sister the 907. Three-litre prototypes weren’t appearing any more as the winning formula. Back to the draughtsman’s table: the next Porsche would be a 5.0-litre sportscar, named 917.

Before the new 917 could be readied, the 908 had still to carry on, going from one bitter disappointment to the next. A record low was reached at Daytona, in early 1969, when Porsche showed that it had been unable to improve the 908 before the start of the new season and recorded an utter rout. Fortunately the 917, presented to the public during the Geneva car show a few weeks later, was just a few months away.

Again, nothing went according to Porsche’s plans. When tested, the 917 proved challenging to master, even for the most skilled factory drivers. Further tests would be necessary just to make it driveable. On the other hand, the 908 unexpectedly started to win. A lighter spyder version, the 908/02, had been developed. At Brands Hatch, three of these cars dominated, inaugurating a string of successes. Hope was back in the hearts of the Porsche team at Le Mans, but the worn out brakes of the leading 908 gave an old Ford GT40 a last-minute win. Despite this failure, the team clinched the World Championship for Makes, a fine consolation.

With the 917 finally reaching the top in 1970, the 908’s career could have ended. Instead, the Porsche people developed a new version of it, the 908/03, a spyder even smaller and nimbler than the 908/02. Again, the idea was to substitute it to the heavier 917 on the twistier tracks of the season. This strategy paid off, Porsche again being crowned in both 1970 and 1971.

The ban of 5.0-litre cars finally became a reality in 1972. Porsche lost interest in sportscars races and limited its involvement to mostly GTs, but the old 908s were cars of choice for privateers. In their hands these machines were continuously updated, which allowed them to fight back the effects of passing time and postponed their retirement until the early Eighties.

A personal note

I still regret to have missed a splendid opportunity while being in Hong Kong: all three of the 908 Long Tail coupes from Le Mans, Ebbro-made and brand new, for the equivalent of 12 euros each. Therefore my 908 range chronologically have to start with the later spyders.

About the models

Model: Porsche 908
Year: 1969
Event: 1969 Japanese Grand Prix, driven by Hans Herrmann and Kenjiro Tanaka (finished 7th)
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro, “Racing” series ref. 728
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Ebbro doesn’t limit itself to Japanese cars, but also produces a few Porsches. Among those are this 908, which the Taki Racing Team entered in the 1969 Japanese Grand Prix. A nice model in a rather original version. I’d give 14/20 to it.

Model: Porsche 908/02
Year: 1969
Event: 1969 Brands Hatch 500 km, driven by Gerhard Mitter and Udo Schütz (finished 3rd)
Maker: Best
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Best ref. 9041
Acquired: second hand, in March 2007, from a friend from Manila, Philippines

Best is a misnomer when it comes about quality, as the Italian brand certainly doesn’t deliver what its name promises. On the other hand, it offers a wide range of seldom-seen-elsewhere models at a correct price. This 908 is among those, correctly reproducing an early /02, but not much more. I’d give it a 12/20 rating.

Model: Porsche 908/02 “Flunder”
Year: 1970
Event: 1970 Temporada 200 miles, driven by Alain de Cadenet and Carlos Pairetti (result unknown, probably retired)
Maker: Best
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Best ref. 9107
Acquired: second hand, in March 2007, from a friend from Manila, Philippines

Even more original is this Ecurie Evergreen-entered Flunder that de Cadenet and Pairetti raced at the Temporada, one week after the pair drove it to 5th place during the Buenos Aires 1000 km. Perhaps my favourite among my trio of Best 908s, I’d rate it at 13/20.

Model: Porsche 908/03
Year: 1972
Event: 1972 Imola 500 km, driven by Reinhold Jöst (finished 4th)
Maker: Best
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Best ref. 9057
Acquired: second hand, in March 2007, from a friend from Manila, Philippines

I have some doubts about this car. Best indicates that it ran at Imola, so it should be Jöst’s car. On the other hand, as far as I know, no.6 was given to an Alfa Romeo during that race. Probably some mixing in my data, though. As for the model itself, it is again correctly done in a livery typical of the era’s 908 Spyders. Decals’ quality could have been better, though. My rating is 12/20.